[Taboleo] Thumbs Up While Running on Snowy Road

Test Drive of Jeep Grand Cherokee
Luxurious Interior Delights the Eyes
Impressive Braking and Acceleration on Snowy Roads

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] When you hear the brand Jeep, off-road naturally comes to mind. It is a brand specialized in off-road vehicles. Additionally, Jeep’s signature seven-slot grille and masculine design are also very appealing.

Recently, Jeep introduced the 5th generation Grand Cherokee to the domestic market. The Grand Cherokee is Jeep’s flagship sport utility vehicle (SUV). Both the gasoline model and the PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) model, the 4xe, were launched domestically.

On a day when snow was falling heavily, I had the chance to drive the Grand Cherokee. I drove about 45 km from Yongsan to a cafe in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in the gasoline 2-row model, and it demonstrated excellent braking and acceleration even on snowy roads, confirming its reputation as a true off-roader. Especially on the Namhansanseong mountain pass, it climbed without any major issues. The stability was impressive.

The Grand Cherokee is equipped with the ‘Quadra-Trac II’ system. It offers five selectable modes depending on driving conditions and includes the Selec-Terrain terrain management system, showcasing optimization for off-road driving. The Summit Reserve trim features the class-leading ‘Quadra-Lift’ air suspension with electronically controlled semi-active damping, enhancing driving stability.

On the way back, I drove the 4xe. When I drove it, the battery was at 0%, so I couldn’t fully experience it, but when fully charged, it can travel up to 33 km on electric power alone. For reference, the 4xe offers three driving modes: hybrid, electric, and e-save.

Both vehicles have sufficient power. The gasoline model is equipped with a 3.6L V6 engine producing a maximum output of 286 horsepower and a peak torque of 35.1 kg·m. The 4xe features two electric motors, a 400V battery pack, and a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. According to specifications, it delivers a maximum output of 272 horsepower and a peak torque of 40.8 kg·m. When combining the electric motors and internal combustion engine, the total output rises to 375 horsepower and 65 kg·m of torque.

The interior is also luxurious. The audio system is by ‘McIntosh.’ It incorporates handcrafted materials to emphasize luxury and modern convenience features, and the second-row space is ample.

However, the navigation system was disappointing throughout the drive. The voice guidance would sometimes cut off or fail to provide directions. Additionally, it occasionally failed to accurately locate the vehicle’s current position, causing loading delays. While I believe these issues can be resolved with future updates, considering the price, these shortcomings are regrettable. It would be understandable if only one vehicle had this problem, but both models I test drove exhibited the same issues.